Thill-coupling



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W; E. TYDEMAN.

THILL GOUPLING.

No. 495,855. Patented Apr.. 18, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TYDEMAN, OF WALSENBURG, COLORADO.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,855, dated April18, 1893.

I Application iiled September 7, 1892. Serial No. 445,265. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I-I. TYDEMAN, of Walsenburg, in the countyof Huerfano and State of Colorado, have invented a new and ImprovedThill-Ooupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in thill couplings, and has forits object to pro- Vide a thill coupling in which the shaft irons may beinserted and locked in an expeditious and convenient manner, and to soconstruct the coupling that it will be exceedingly simple and economic.

Another object of the invention is to form the coupling in such mannerthat when the shaft iron is in draft position in connection with thecoupling the two can not be disconnected, and whereby when adisconnection is desired the shaft iron must be carried upward at anangle of practically forty-five degrees and removed from the couplingwhile in that position. The coupling is practically automatic, as nowrenches or other tools are required in its manipulation, nor is itnecessary to remove any bolts.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the coupling, showing the draft ironin draft position therein. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through thecoupling, the shaft iron being in the same position as shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section through the thill coupling, showing theshaft iron carried up nearly to the position from which it may beremoved; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the thillcoupling, illustrating the position of the shaft iron when it is aboutto be removed, and the position of the locking dog.

The shaft iron A, is made to terminate at its lower end in a head B, andthe forward face of this head is cylindrical, as shown at 10 in thedrawings, and in the cylindrical forward face of the head a transversechannel 11, is about centrally produced, the channel being somewhatsemi-circular in cross section, or practically so. In the opposite orrear face of the head a second transverse channel 12, is produced, thelatter channel being somewhat U or V-shaped in cross section, its outerportion or mouth being wider than its inner portion; and im mediatelybelow the rear channel 12, a concavity 13, is made in the head.

The body of the coupling comprises a clip section D which is adapted tobe attached to the axle E; and from the forward face of this clipsection two parallel arms 14 and 15, are horizontally projected, and theforward portion of the arms are preferably made narrower than the rearportion. A pin 16, is passed through both of the arms near their upperedges between their centers and rear ends, the pin being rigidly securedto the arms; and a second pin 17, is passed through the forward portionsof the arms near their forward extremities. The rear pin 16, is adaptedto enter the rear channel 12 in the .rear of the shaft iron, while theforward pin a rearwardly curved transverse spur 20, isv

formed, the spur curving in direction of the rear of the coupling, oraway from the body portion of the dog.

When the shaft iron is in position in the coupling, the pin 16, will beseated in the inner or contracted portion of the channel 12 in the backof the head of the said shaft iron, and the transverse rib 19 upon thebody of the locking dog will enter and fill the channel 11 in theforward portion of the shaft iron head, as shown in Fig. 2, the spur 2OeXtending upward and rearward over the upper portion of the head.

It is evident that a disconnection can not be made between the shaftiron and the coupling when the parts are in this position, as the morethat forward tension is brought to bear upon the shaft iron the firmerit is locked IOO in the coupling. The shaft iron, however, can beremoved from the coupling both expeditiously and conveniently, and it isaccomplished in the following manner: The shafts are carried upward andrearward until they assume an angle of about forty-fve degrees to thearms 14 and 15, which position is illustrated in Fig. 3; and when theshafts are brought to this position the heads of the shaft irons arerocked forward, and consequently the ribs 19 of the locking dogs areforced upward and forward, and the final movement necessary indisconnecting the shafts from the thill coupling is to lift the heads ofthe shaft irons out from the coupling while the shafts are in theirupper rearwardly-inclined position; and upon the upward movement of theshaft iron heads the ribbed portion of the locking dogs will be thrownforward and downward, and the curved end of the body portion of the dogswill be brought uppermost, as shown in Fig. 4, and therefore noimpediment is offered to the outward passage of the shaft irons. Theconcavity 13, in the shaft iron heads is made in order that the shaftirons may be readily inserted in the couplings.

The operation of inserting the shaft irons into the couplings is asfollows: The shaft irons are held in an upright position, slightlyrearwardly inclined, and the channels l2 in the` rear portions of theirheads are made to receive the pins 16 in the couplings. The dogs arethen carried upward until their ribs 19 enter the forward channels 1l inthe edges of the shaft iron, the shaft irons are thereupon forceddownward,and they will be then locked between the pins 16 and the ribson the lockingdog, the lock having somewhat of the nature of a cam lock.

The coupling is rendered anti-rattling by placing an elastic block 21,between the arms 14 and 15 against the clip section D, with which blockthe head of the thill or shaft iron engages when the device is incoupled position.

It will be understood that the device is as advantageously employed inconnection with a pole as with a shaft.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-` 1. In a thill coupling, the combination, with acoupling comprising a clip, arms projected from the clip, and pinspassed through the arms one in advance of the other, of a shaft ironterminating in a head having a channel j in its front and rear portion,the rear channel being adapted to receive one of the pins of thecoupling, and a locking dog pivoted upon the other pin and provided witha rib upon one side, the said rib being adapted to enter the forwardchannel in the shaft iron head, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a thill coupling, the combination, with a clip section, armsprojected therefrom, pins passing through the arms, one in advance ofthe other, the rear pin being higher than the forward one, and a lockingdog pivoted upon the forward or lower pin, the said dog comprisingessentially a circular body, a circular rib projected from the lowerrear face of the body and a spur formed upon the body above the rib, ofa shaft iron terminating at its lower end in a head, the said head beingprovided in one side with an exterior channel to receive the rear pinand having produced upon its forward surface a second channel to receivethe rib of the locking dog, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In athill coupling, the combination, with a clip, arms projectingtherefrom, apin passed through the upper rearward portion of the arms, asecondV pin passed through the for- Ward portion thereof below the planeof the rear pin, and a locking dog pivoted upon the' forward pin betweenthe arms, the locking dog comprising essentially a circular body, acylindrical rib projected from its forward-surface, and a rearwardlycurved spur formed above the rib, of a shaft iron terminating at itslower end in a head, the said ironhaving a channel semi-circular incross section produced in its forward face to receive the rib of thelocking dog and having formed in its rear surface a tapering recess forthe reception of the rear pin of the coupling, the under rear surface ofthe head being cut away, as

\ specified.

WILLIAM I-I. TYDEM AN.

